Some days I think I live a charmed life.

Month: February 2006

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Okay. So there is so much to share about this conference I really don’t know where to begin. Let me just start by saying that it was an awesome conference and if you can make it, you should totally fork out the cash and go. It will probably be one of the best things you’ll ever do for your marriage. Also, it doesn’t matter what state your marriage is in, whether it’s never been better or could really use some help, this conference is for any marriage. Basically, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs has taken the verse in Ephesians 5:33 “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband,” and made a mantra for marriage out of it. You know those fights you get into with your spouse where whatever you were arguing about to begin with, turns into something totally different, obviously deep seeded and previously unresolved? Well, the idea is that the wife is crying out for and needs love and so she begins to respond to her husband without respect, and vice versa, the husband needs and wants respect, so he responds to his wife without love. Women have a deep need to be loved and nurtured and men have a deep need to be respected. And so you can see, and as Dr. Eggerichs labeled it, this “crazy cycle” begins where you just go back and forth until one of you gets what you need. And once you realize that you are in the “crazy cycle”, one of you, whoever is the most mature *wink, wink*, needs to set aside their needs for a moment and apologize and begin to respond with love/respect. That was a fraction of what the conference covered, but kind of one of the foundations that was built on. He also adressed the differences between men and women, (because for some reason, some people think we are the same, but if you’ve been around for any length of time you KNOW, that just isn’t true) and one thing he kept on saying that I really liked was, that doing/thinking things a mans way or doing/thinking things a womans way isn’t wrong, just different. So we were encouraged and given examples of ways to begin relating to our spouse in their own language. For men, examples of how to treat them respectfully, and for women, examples for how to treat them lovingly.

I know all of this may sound simple (that is if I’ve done it any justice in explaining it, I apologize if I’ve confused you), and it is simple, but it isn’t at the same time. I was really struck by my lack of understand for how the male brain works. I really thought I understood how they worked, but I really don’t. Now that I’ve gone to this conference, I feel like I have a better tool for understanding and communicating with my husband.

I would share more with all of you, but frankly there is way too much to cover (and that could be a bit boring coming from me too). Just know that I highly recommend this conference. If you can’t go, I recommend the books. I know my hubby and I wished that every married couple we knew could go. So if you have a chance, and the health of your marriage is important to you, check it out, you’ll be happy you did. (The link is the post below.)

I am supposed to be getting ready right now, but I’m not, basically because the baby just had a meltdown. He is now sitting on my lap watching the words appear as I type them. Anyways, my parents are coming down to watch the boys tonight and tomorrow so my hubby and I can go to this. I’m really excited about it and hope I have some good stuff to share with you on Monday. Have a good weekend y’all!

I can’t think of anything interesting to write, people, my head hurts too much. You know those lymphnodes that are under your ears and they swell up when fighting sickness? Yeah, they’re at work on me right now. So anyways…not going to bore you with mindnumbing drivel. Off to find a picture or two to share. When in doubt of what to say-find a picture!

Long long ago in a galaxy far far away, there was no mistaking children of Jedi Masters…
…and Darth Vader had a hard time seeing out of his helmet…(sorry this pic is a little fuzzy.)

Okay, so to the best of my abilities and along with my sister, I am going to try and post a weekly picture of her belly development. This is mostly for our sister, Hannah’s, benefit, but I thought there are many of you out there who might enjoy watching the progression yourselves. So here we go, she is just about thirteen weeks along, due September 2, having an enviable pregnancy so far, and looking luscious as always.

Thought I’d like to let ruminate for a while: Having young kids is really a great thing, and I should try to enjoy it as much as possible. Because you know all those years that I remember from being a kid so fondly, and wish I could relive or at least remember a little clearer ? I can really enjoy those again through my kids. I’m so thankful God chose me to be a mother. How blessed am I ?

How my husband captured this look is beyond me, but dern if isn’t funny!

A couple of weeks ago, I made this post, and if you read it, you may have wondered what I might be talking about. What is ‘disappointing’ and ‘catastrophic’?
So here goes-last month my precious mother whom I am so close with and adore so much was diagnosed with MS. I apologize in advance if this post comes out a bit funny. This is difficult and weird for me to try and write about, but for my mom’s sake and my family’s sake, I just wanted to make sure this situation was represented in the right light.
First of all, to those of you who know and have offered your prayers and support and any other help, THANK YOU! We really appreciate you and are glad to have you on board with us while we face this thing head on. To those of you who are just finding out, we hope finding out in this venue isn’t offensive to you. One of the most difficult things about this has been telling people.
As for my mom, she is a fighter. She isn’t going to let this thing have her. How is she fighting? She is educating herself on the disease and treatment options, and seeing an MS specialist. (And if you choose to do some research on the disease, she asks that you seek info from the National MS Society, since it is the most accurate and up to date.) She is staying active, snowboarding, and teaching. She is eating healthy (has been, for a long time!) She is laughing and making good use of humor. She will be starting a drug therapy soon, that should halt any progression of the disease, if it works. So right now we are praying that it works! Which brings me to the spiritual side of this. We are keeping our eyes on God. When we begin to look astray and focus on the disease and what may or may not happen, just like Peter, we start to sink. We are praying vigilantly, and invite you to do the same. Yes, we believe that God can heal Mom and are even praying that He will, but at this moment, it is still present in her body and we are going to confront it where it’s at and hopefully nip in the bud by going forth with the drug therapy.
And at this point, that is where it all stands. Any encouragement, prayers, accurate and helpful information, are welcome. Just know that my mom and our family with her, are fully dependent on God. He is our strength. He is our answer. Not only do we know He is in control, but we are aware of it and grateful.

I get daily emails from the MOPS website, and this was today’s and I thought I would share it with you in light of this post. You know, even if you can’t devote a whole hour or two for a nice substantial quiet time (in my idealistic, but impractical world), something is better than nothing. So without further ado…

Time For God
There was time for dating, getting married, and having a baby. Now, there is a renewed desire to have time for God.
Many of the moms I’ve met through MOPS seek out Christianity when they become mothers. Some are returning to their roots; others want a new perspective on life as they parent. All can find hope and guidance in the teachings of Christ as they take time to learn who he is and what he can teach us about himself. Robert D. Foster wrote a tiny booklet many years ago called Seven Minutes with God. In it, he outlines how a regular person like you or me can begin talking to God with just seven minutes of our day. Sometimes that’s all a mother has without an interruption! Where can you find seven minutes?

-When you first wake up
-After a shower
-While you dry your hair
-In the car after you drop off your child at preschool
-While you are walking or jogging or riding your bike
-When you are feeding your baby late at night
-At the beginning of naptime
Once you find seven minutes, Robert Foster suggests thirty seconds to clear your mind of all the responsibilities and worries calling you, four minutes to read the Bible, and two and a half minutes to pray. Whatever amount of time you have to spend with God, he will bless you with rest, hope and courage to face whatever mommy challenges you may face that day. Twinkle and shine this month as you enjoy each new day God has given you.
From http://www.MOPS.org.